Loading pendulum assembly for an automatic gun



y 26, 1964 'c. G. l. SAHLBERG LOADING PENDULUM ASSEMBLY FOR AN AUTOMATIC GUN 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 16, 1962 INVENTOR. CARL GU$7AV /NGEMAE SAHLBERG BYMMW A 111R mars R O T N w m c. s. I. SAHLBERG 3,134,303 LOADING PENDULUM ASSEMBLY FOR AN AUTOMATIC GUN Y s Sheets-Sheet 2 CARL GUSTAV lA/GEMAR SAHLBERG May 26, 1964 Flled Feb 16 1962 y 1964 c. e. l. SAHLBERG 3,134,303

LOADING PENDULUM ASSEMBLY FOR AN AUTOMATIC GUN Filed Feb. 16, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet :5

A Tro/wsrs Q ZNVENTOR. {I CARL. GUSTAV (NGEMAR SAHLBERG v BY ft;

be subjected to severe stresses.

a 3,134,303 LoAniNG PENDULUM ASSEMBLY no AN AUTOMATIC GUN Cari Gustav Ingemar Sahlberg, Boiors, Sweden, assignor to.Aktiebolaget Bofors, Bofors, Sweden, a Swedish company Y Filed Feb. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 173,635

Claims priority, application Sweden Feb. 22, 1961 4 Claims. (Cl. 89-45) The present invention relates to'installations of automatic guns, and more particularly to automatic guns equipped with aloading pendulum for feeding around of ammunition from a source of supply such as a hoist to'the ramming position. i

In guns of the general kind above referred to as heretofore known, the loading pendulum can swing freely between a position fixed in relation to a stationary part of the gun (supply position) and a position fixed in relation to the elevating mass of the gun (ramming position).

Due to'the high rate of fire of modern automatic guns a loading pendulum of this kind will swing from oneposi tion into the other at a high rate of speed and may hence It is known to provide two loading pendulums which alternately feed a round of ammunition to the ramming position. The use of two pendulums. permits a reduction of the swinging speed of each pendulum but requires an accuratesynchronization ,l'ofthe movementsof the pendulums.

, It is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved gun installation of the general I kind above referred to, in which the amplitude of the swinging movements of the loading pendulum is continuously controlled, whereby the rate of speed of the pendulum and the stresses acting upon the same can be reduced.

Aspecific object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved gun installation of the general kind above referred to, in which the amplitude of the swinging movements of the pendulum is continuouslyand automatically controlled in accordance with the elevational position of the elevating mass of the gun (gun barrel) so as to reduce said amplitude proportional to, an increasing elevation of [the gunbarreL.

It is also a specific object of the invention to provid a novel and improved gun installation of the general kind above referred to, in which the swinging movements 'IlOD or depression of the elevating mass.

A loading pendulum assembly according to the invention maybe advantageously used for a single pendulum installation and also for synchronization of two alternately operating pendulums.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be poinnted out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claimsconstituting part of the application. V I

In the accompanying drawing several preferred embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing: FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a gun installation ac- 1 cording to the invention showing the loading pendulum in its loading position.

nited States Patent link 5 fixedly supported at one end by recoil jacket 1,

I 3,134,33 Patented May 26, l 964 FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but showing the loading pendulum in its ramming position.

FIG. 3 is a viewsimilar tothat of FIG. 1, but showing the gun barrel elevated from the horizontal position of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but showing the gun barrel in elevated opsition. Y I

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of structure of a loading pendulum assembly based upon the principle diagrammatically shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, as usuable in prac tice and V i --FIG. 6 is adiagrammatic view of a modification of the pendulum assembly according to FIGS. 1 through 4.

In FIGS. 1 through 6 only those parts of the gun and its mount are indicated that are essential for the understanding of the invention.

Referring first in detail to FIGS. 1 through 4, these figures show part of the elevating mass lofthe gun and more specifically the recoil jacket and a-portion of the barrel of the gun. The nonrelevating part of the gun mount is shown at 2. The recoil jacket 1 is pivotally sup ported on a trunnion 3, the mounting for which is not shown. The supply of ammunition is indicated at 4 and may be visualizedat the top end of a hoist.

T heloading pendulum assembly comprises a lever or a for instance on trunnion 3 for pivotal movement in unison with the recoil jacket. The other end of link 5 is pivotally connected to one end of a guide link 6, which is formed with a lengthwise guide groove 8 and mounts at its, other end a roller 7. Roller 7 is guided in a circularly curved guide track 9' formed in a guide link or member 9, fixedly secured at one end to the nonelevating part 2 of the gun. A loading pendulum 10 is pivotally mounted on the elevating mass. 1 of the gun,

for instance on trunnion 3. The pendulum is extended by a link or'lever.11 pivotal in unison with the pendulum. Link 11 is pivoted to one end of a driving bar or link 12. The other endof driving link 12 'mounts a roller. 14 which is guided in a second curved guide track 15 formed in a guide member or link 15 and having the same curvature as guidetrack 9'. Roller 14 also engages guide track 8 of link 6 and is lengthwise slidable in that guide track. Guide member 15 is pivotal about a-pivot pin 16 on the non-elevating part 2 of the gun. The respective ends of guide members 9 and 15 are shown tobe in registry in FIGS. 2 and 4. The free end of guide member 15 is pivoted tola drive bar 17 which in turn is hi'ngedto a reciprocatory-lever 18 which should be visualized as being driven by suitable power drive means (not shown). Lever v 18 is driven by the drive-means from the position shown A buffer 13 is interposed in link 12 and serves to absorb joints occurring between-roller 14 and driving guide member 15 and also to compensate for possible backlash in the transmission formed by the aforedescribed links and guide members. i .v,

The loading pendulum assembly as hereinbefore described, operates as follows: v

Let it be assumed that the elevating mass 1 of the gun is in the depressed horizontal position of FIG. 1, that pendulum 10 is inthe loading position and loaded with a round of ammunition, and that it is desired to swing the pendulum from the loading position of FIG. 1 into the ramming position of FIG. 2. .To eifectfsuchswinging of the pendulum, lever 18 is driven in clockwise direction from the position of FIG. lvinto the position of FIG. 2. The driving bar 17 will follow the movement of the lever and accordingly thelinks andmernberS of the linkage assembly as previously described are displaced from the position of FIG. 1 to the position of FIG. 2. More specifically, curved member 15 will be turned in clockwise direction taking along with it driving link 12 which is drivingly coupled by lever 11 to pendulum 10 whereby the latter is turned in counter-clockwise direction into the position of FIG. 2. Lever 5 will remain in its position, butroller 14' of link 12 will slide along guide track 8 towards the'outer end thereof. The roller will also slide in guide track 15' toward the free end of said track.

The ratio of transmission is selected in the exemplification according to FIGS. 2 and '4 so that guide members 9 and 15, links 6 and'12 and levers 5' and 11 are in registry when pendulum is in its ramming position. As is evident, pendulum 10 in FIGS. l and 2 must turn through an angleof 90 to reach the ramming position which is the widest angle through which the pendulum must Swing in the said position of elevating mass. Accordingly, the displacements relative one to another which the links and members of the linkage assembly must perform are also the greatest possible displacements; Y

To return pendulum 10 from the position of FIG. into the position of FIG. 1, lever 18 is driven in counterclockwise direction, that is, from the position ofFIG. 2 into the position of FIG. 1. Such movement of the lever compels corresponding movements of all the links and members drivingly coupled therewith as is evident from the previous description. 7

Driving lever 18 has been described as a reciprocatory lever, but it is also possible to rotate the lever. The

drive means for the bar 17 can be an arbitrary one provided it can give the guide member the desired movement between the two positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Let it now be assumed that it is desired to elevate the recoil jacketl from the horizontal position of FIG. 1 into the elevated position of FIG. 3 without movement of pendulum 19 out of its loading position. Asis evident from the previous description, elevation of the re- ,coil jacket '1 causes a corresponding turning of lever 5.

The lever forces link 6 pivotally connected to it from the position of FIG. 1 into the position of FIG. 3 and roller 7 of link 6 will rideupwardly in guide track 9'.

The-upward movement of link'6 forces link 12 to follow as its roller 14 is guided in guide track 8. Hence roller 14 will also'ride upwardly in guide track 15. The cylindrical curvature of guide track 15' is such that its center is the pivot point at which lever 11 and. link 12 are joined to each other. Accordingly no turning force acts upon pendulum 10 and the same remains in the loading position when and while the recoil jacket of the gun is elevated.

The same, though reverse action, occurswhen the recoil jacket is depressed from the elevated position of I FIG. 3 into the horizontal position of FIG. 1.

Similarly, the gun may be elevated from the horizontal position of FIG. 2 into the elevated position of FIG. 4 and vice versa without moving the loading pendulum out of its ramming position. As is shown in FIG.'2, guide tracks 9 and 15' are in registry at the beginning of the elevational movement of recoil jacket 1. Link 6 will be lifted when and while the recoil jacket 1 is elevated, but a at the same time it takes along driving link 12 through the same distance due to the coupling between roller 14 of driving link. 12 and link 6. As a result, the lifting movement of link 12 has no effect upon the position of pendulum 10. Similarly, a depression of recoil jacket by driving lever 18 from the position of FIG. 3 into the position of FIG. 4 in clockwise direction. As is apparent,

'the are through which pendulum 10 must turn to reach the ramming position is about half the arc of FIG. 1. 'While the are through which lever 18 is turned is the same in FIG. 3 as in FIG 1, the action'of such turning have the shape of a plate of e.g. triangular form.

of lever 18 upon thelinkage system is not the same as has been described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2. Due to the aforedescribed displacement of link 6 and 12 during the elevation of recoil jacket 1, that is, the

ratio of displacement of pendulum 10 relative to lever 18, .the ratio of transmission is correspondingly reduced, as

is evidentfrom'a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 3 or FIGS. 2 and 4. Hence pendulum'10 will. move through the required smaller arc in response to turning of lever 18 ramming position of FIG. 4 into the loading position of FIG 3 when lever 13is returned from the position of FIG. 4 into the position of FIG. 3.

As is apparent from the previous description, the ratio of transmission which is transmitted from lever 18 to V the loading pendulum is'continuously controlled in accordance with the elevational position of the gun.

The link 6 need not have the-form of a bar but can The track 8 in FIGS. l 4 is shown straight, but it can have a curved form and a direction which more or less corresponds to the one shown in FIG. 5.

The structure of the loading pendulum assembly of FIG. 5 is evident from the previous description by referring to the corresponding reference numerals. The only diiference is that the mountings for guide members 9 and 15 are shown separate as this has been found to be more practical from a manufacturing viewpoint. It may also be noted that in FIG. 5 the guide tracks 9 and 15 are shown double, links 6 and 12 are bifurcated and each mounts two rollers 7 and 14 respectively.

In the arrangement of FIG. 6, the guide member 9 of the proceeding figuresis replaced by a link 19 which is pivoted at one end to the non-elevated part of the gun mount at 20. The other end of link 19 is formed with a guidetrack 21 in which roller 14 of link 12 is guided lengthwise slidable. The track 21 can also have a curved form and any suitable direction.

pressed from the position shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6 and elevated from the position in the said figures to a position above While the invention has been described in detail with respect to certain now preferred examples and embodiments of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that variouschanges and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and itis intended, therefore, to cover all such changes :vand modification in the appended claims.

What. is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

:l. A loading pendulum assembly for an elevating automatic gun, said assembly comprising'a loading pendulum mounted on the elevating mass of the gun pivotal between a loading position fixed in reference to a stafltionary part of the gunand a ramming position fixed in reference to the elevation-a1 position of the elevating mass of the gun, a drive member with reciprocating movementof predetermined amplitude, and variable ratio transmission means coupling said drive member with said pendulum for pivoting the latter between said positions in response to movement of said drive member, said transmission means comprising a curved first guide Link 6 is replaced by a link 22 which at one end is linked to link 19 and at the pivotally mounted on a stationary part of the gun mission means, and a third link linked at one end to the elevated mass for control by the elevation position thereof and engaging said guided end of the second link to vary the position of said second link in reference to the pivot point thereof in accordance with the elevational position of the elevating mass of the gun, thereby controlling the pivotal movement of said loading pendulum corre v sponding to the elevational position of the gun.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said transmission means further comprise a curved fourth link fixedly mounted on a stationary part of the gun, the other end of the third link being slidably guided in said fourth link to vary the position of said guided other end of the third link in accordance with the elevational posi- 1 tion of the elevating mass, an intermediate portion of said third link engaging the guided end ofthe second link to displace said guided end inreference to the first link in accordance with the elevational position of the elevating mass thereby correspondingly changing the ratio of transmission of said transmission means.

3. A loading pendulum assembly for an elevating automatic gun, said assembly comprising a loading pendulum mounted 'on the elevating mass of the gun pivotal between a loading position fixed in reference to a stationary part of the gun and a ramming position fixed in reference to the elevational position of the elevating mass of the gun, a drive member with reciprocating movement of predetermined amplitude, a first link ineluding a curved guide track pivoted at one end to a stationary part of the gun and coupled at the other end A 6 and a fourth link including a curved guide track fixedly secured to a-stationary part of the gun, the other end of said third link slidably engaging the guide track of said fourth link for displacement along said track, an 5 intermediate pontion of the third link forming a guide track, the guided end of the second link slid ably engaging said guide trlack to position said second link in the curved guide track of the first link in accordance with the angular position of the pendulum thereby controlling the extent of the pivotal movement of the pendulum in response to a movement of the drive member,

4. A loading pendulum assembly for an elevating automatic gun, said assembly comprising a loading pendulum mounted on the elevating mass of the gun pivotal beof the third link, and a fourth link pivoted at one end v to said elevating mass for pivotal movement ofthe to said drive member for pivoting said link through an arc corresponding to said. amplitude of the drive memher, a second link engaging at one end said curved guide track slidable along the same, the other end of the second link being coupled to said pendulum. for pivoting the same corresponding to the pivotal movement of the first link, the position of the end of the second link guided in the curved guide track of the first link controlling the extent of the pivotal movement imparted to the pendulum by a pivotal movement of the first in response to a movement of the drive member, a third link coupled at one end to said elevating mass for displacement of said third link in accordance with the elevational position of the elevating mass,

tween 2. loading position fixed in reference to a stationary part of the gun and a ramming position fixed in reference to the elevational position of the elevating mass of the gun, a drive member with reciprocating movement of predetermined amplitude, a first link including acurved guide track pivoted at one end to a stationary part of the gun and coupled at the other end to said drive member for pivoting said link through an arc correspond-' ing to said amplitude of the drive member, a second link engaging at one end said curved guide track slidasble along the same, the other end of the second link being coupled to said pendulum for pivoting the same corresponding to the pivotal movement of the first link, the position of the end of the second link guided in the curved guide track of the first link controlling the extent of the pivotal movement imparted to the pendulum by a pivotal movement of the first link in response to a movement of the drive member, a third link pivoted on one end to a stationary part of the gun, said third link' both the guide track of the first link and the guide tnaek of the third link in accordance with the pivotal position fourth link in accordance with the elevational position of the elevating mass, the other end of the fourth link being pivoted to said third link to position the guided end of the second link in accordance with the angular position of the elevating mass thereby controlling the extent of the pivotal movement of the pendulum in response to a movement of the drive member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 329,878 Germany Dec. 1, 1920 

1. A LOADING PENDULUM ASSEMBLY FOR AN ELEVATING AUTOMATIC GUN, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A LOADING PENDULUM MOUNTED ON THE ELEVATING MASS OF THE GUN PIVOTAL BETWEEN A LOADING POSITION FIXED IN REFERENCE TO A STATIONARY PART OF THE GUN AND A RAMMING POSITION FIXED IN REFERENCE TO THE ELEVATIONAL POSITION OF THE ELEVATING MASS OF THE GUN, A DRIVE MEMBER WITH RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF PREDETERMINED AMPLITUDE, AND VARIABLE RATIO TRANSMISSION MEANS COUPLING SAID DRIVE MEMBER WITH SAID PENDULUM FOR PIVOTING THE LATTER BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID DRIVE MEMBER, SAID TRANSMISSION MEANS COMPRISING A CURVED FIRST GUIDE LINK PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON A STATIONARY PART OF THE GUN AND COUPLED TO SAID DRIVE MEMBER FOR SWINGING SAID FIRST LINK THROUGH AN ARC OF PREDETERMINED AMPLITUDE CORRESPONDING TO SAID MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVE MEMBER, A SECOND LINK SLIDABLY GUIDE AT ONE END IN SAID FIRST LINK AND PIVOTALLY LINKED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID PENDULUM TO TRANSMIT THE MOVEMENT OF THE FIRST LINK TO THE SECOND LINK, THE POSITION OF SAID ONE END OF THE SECOND LINK IN THE CURVED FIRST LINK IN REFERENCE TO THE PIVOT POINT THEREOF CONTROLLING THE RATIO OF TRANSMISSION OF SAID TRANSMISSION MEANS, AND A THIRD LINK LINKED AT ONE END TO THE ELEVATED MASS FOR CONTROL BY THE ELEVATION POSITION THEREOF AND ENGAGING SAID GUIDED END OF THE SECOND LINK TO VARY THE POSITION OF SAID SECOND LINK IN REFERENCE TO THE PIVOT POINT THEREOF IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ELEVATIONAL POSITION OF THE ELEVATING MASS OF THE GUN, THEREBY CONTROLLING THE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LOADING PENDULUM CORRESPONDING TO THE ELEVATIONAL POSITION OF THE GUN. 